Palladium Books® Weekly Update – December 20, 2012

By Kevin Siembieda

With Christmas next week, I guess the focus of this Weekly Update has to be the holidays and the Christmas Surprise Packages. The offer ends Christmas Eve, 2012, so you still have time to order one.

At this point, only Express Mail and Next Day UPS have any chance of arriving in time for Christmas. I would hope those of you purchasing a Surprise Package for the holidays have already done so. We certainly did everything we could on this end to get the Christmas Surprise Packages out as fast as humanly possible. Once in the mail, it’s out of our hands.

Ah, but the beauty of the Surprise Packages is that they aren’t just for Christmas. You can purchase one or more as gifts for any upcoming occasion (birthday, anniversary, Happy New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, graduation, and so on). A Surprise Package is also a great way to fill holes in your collection, try new world settings, get back issues of The Rifter®, get autographed books and specialty items like the Zeleznik art book, prints, original art, bookmarks, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other non-book items.

Each Christmas Surprise Package is handpicked and packed with appreciation and warm holiday wishes. We do the Surprise Package as our way of saying thank you for your patronage and support, as well as a way to spread holiday cheer to the Palladium gaming community. So please, order as many as you’d like, enjoy and happy holidays.

Last Friday, Christmas came early at Palladium

The Palladium Christmas Party. The Palladium crew all gathered at Kathy’s house, joined by some old friends and some new ones for a wonderful evening together. There was a lot of excited talk about upcoming Palladium releases, new projects, Palladium’s future and the many projects we are excited about. We enjoyed Kathy’s delicious cooking, exchanged gifts and talked about everything under the sun, from personal things and family, to comic books and films, to UFOs and history. That’s the nice thing about the Palladium Christmas Party ... it’s like having Christmas twice. How awesome is that? :)

Of course, in some ways, it’s Christmas every day at Palladium, starting in October as we put together Christmas Surprise Packages for our valued customers. Many of whom we’ve met over the years at the Palladium Open Houses and gaming conventions, or are known to us in other ways. People who feel much more like friends than mere customers. I truly love the idea that our Surprise Packages put a smile on a couple thousand faces and bring a lot of people joy. That’s also why I send out little gifts of gratitude and appreciation to the many Palladium freelancers, many of whom have become friends and feel like family. Just Tuesday I got an email from one of “my guys” saying how his wife smiled when she opened her gift and how that meant as much to him as the gifts themselves. Me too. I love it. I love making people smile. That’s what makes Christmas and the holiday season this time of year so precious to me. Yeah, it’s cool to get gifts, but it’s awesome to make someone smile and feel special — especially when they are special.

I know business people are supposed to be all about the bottom line and money, but for me, the bottom-line includes stirring imaginations and bringing joy, fun and laughter with our games, words and conduct throughout the year. It’s just a little more special during the holiday season.

With that, I’m going to keep the rest of this Update short:

Sales are stellar.

Christmas Surprise Packages and regular orders are pouring in and being packed up and shipped out just as quickly.

People can hardly wait for the many other books in the pipeline, especially Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Northern Gun™ One and Two, Megaverse® in Flames, and new sourcebooks for Chaos Earth™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Palladium Fantasy®, Splicers® and, well, everything.

When I’m not working on Surprise Packages, shipping, Christmas and business, I’ve been writing away.

Now, I’m going to let the warm words we get in the comment section of many of our Surprise Packages fill the rest of the new portion of this Weekly Update. May you and your loved ones have a warm and wonderful Christmas and a bright, beautiful New Year filled with joy and prosperity. Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies go out to those in Newtown, Connecticut. A tragic reminder to us all how precious and fleeting life really is. We should count our blessings, every one of us, and appreciate the people we love.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Father

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Many of the Surprise Packages include brief season greetings, well wishes, suggestions and comments. I like to share some of them with you in these Weekly Updates as a way to acknowledge our fans, and because they are fun to read, so here is this week’s sampling.

Your brief comments, suggestions and support mean a lot to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your comments. They always brighten our day. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have made 2012 a very good year for Palladium. Keep those imaginations burning bright, have a joyous holiday season and game on.

D.R. in Lynnwood, Washington, writes: Thanks for offering the Grab Bags again this year. Loved what was in it last year.

B.E. in Greenwood, Missouri, writes: Year 6 of my marriage and year 6 ordering Palladium Surprise Packages. Coincidence? I think not. Happy holidays and game on!

M.D. in Saxton, Pennsylvania, writes: Last year was the first year I orderd a Christmas Package. As soon as it arrived, my wife asked if it was time to order a second. Being able to order these is one of the highlights of the Christmas season.

C.P. in Denver, Colorado, writes: I have been very happy with every Surprise Pack I have received! Please keep up the good work everyone and Merry Christmas from Denver Colorado!!

C.A. in Eagle River, Arkansas, writes: To all the folks at Palladium Books, thank you for the hard work you consistently invest in delivering new books. Hope you all have a safe and Happy Holiday season and a great New Year.

G.B. in Tukwila, Washington, writes (in part): My Husband has been playing your games since he was a teenager, and to this day he loves running them: Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™ and Beyond the Supernatural™. He’s even tried to run games at small conventions so other people can learn about your products.

J.H. in Louisville, Kentucky, writes: Thanks for all your hard work this year!! I’m looking forward to the new Rifts® and Robotech® books. Can’t wait! Happy X-Mas and here’s to a great New Year!!

E.O. in Houston, Texas, writes (in part): I look forward to this every year! This is probably my 8th or 9th (maybe more) Surprise Package. It makes my wife’s job so much easier and I’m sure to get things I want. Best wishes and happy holidays. P.S. Bring back the Naruni T-Shirt.

I.B. in Hamden, Connecticut, writes: Just got introduced to Rifts® via a friend and saw this as a great way to kick-start my library! Great game and keep up the good work!

J.D. in Modesto, California, writes (in part): Thank you so much for the continued production of awesome gaming material and an amazing Christmas Surprise Package!

J.L. in Alice Springs, Australia, writes: I do like shirts, dice and zombies. :D MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

From Kevin Siembieda & staff to all of you. What J.L. said. ;) Merry Christmas, enjoy the holiday and share the fun and excitement with those you love. Our thanks to everyone for the kind words and well wishes. Happy holidays. :) - Kevin Siembieda and the Palladium Crew

Christmas Surprise Package offer – Ends December 24, 2012

As noted, the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package is not just for Christmas. It is an opportunity to try new game settings, fill in your collection, stock up on reading material for the winter, get gifts for other occasions and get autographs. Order yours today, and be certain to provide a nice, long Wish List of currently available books (12+ items) and we’ll do our best to delight you with your Surprise Package.

$85-$95 worth of product for only about $45 or so in every Palladium Christmas Surprise Package! These days, that’s the price of a core rule book or two supplements. And sometimes the crazy Publisher includes even more value than that!

Autographs in every book in your Surprise Package, upon request if you want them. For many gamers this is the only way for them to get signed books.

Get original artwork. The inclusion of art is considered only for those who request it, and depending on the size, subject and quality of the art, you may only get the art and one or two other items. (The typical piece of original art is 8½ x 11 and has a value of $30-$60.)

Get other goodies like limited edition prints, posters, back issues of The Rifter®, game settings you’ve been meaning to try, T-shirts, coffee mugs, bookmarks, magnets, Chi-Town Library pencils, and other Palladium goodies.

A great gift for ALL gift-giving occasions – Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, birthdays, anniversaries, and so on.

It’s a surprise, like a real present, because you never know exactly what you are going to get and it is packed with love!

Placing your Surprise Package order involves you sending Santa Kevin a “Wish List” of 10-12 different in-stock products and a flat payment (+ shipping and handling). I then hand-pick items from that Wish List and I may include product you didn’t ask for (hence the nickname, “X-Mas Grab Bag”), but all things I think you’ll enjoy, and we ship it all off to you. Gamers have been loving this special offer for 14 or 15 years now. Order one or several for yourself and for your gaming buddies. For the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or just to get cool stuff and signatures. Get all the information from the description in the online store. The Christmas Surprise Package offer ends December 24, 2012.

Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook – Available now

Gamers and Robotech fans are loving it. This is a truly epic sourcebook that takes an in-depth look at the Invid Genesis Pits, their purpose, function, the mutants and monsters they unleash and the dangers they pose for non-Invid. It is jam-packed with never before seen source material, mutations, mutation tables (so you can generate your own Genesis Pit monsters and characters) and more.

Inorganics and other war machines of the Invid Regent.

Gura-Invid – monstrous mutant Invid that do not leave when the Regess and her Invid legions depart Earth.

Bioroid and Zentraedi mutants, Simulagents and more.

Different types of Genesis Pits from across the galaxy.

Tables for creating Genesis Mutants as player characters and NPC villains.

Tables for creating Genesis Pit Monsters as player characters and NPC villains.

BACK IN PRINT: Aliens Unlimited™

A sourcebook for Heroes Unlimited™

Aliens Unlimited™ brings alien beings to your Earth-based Heroes Unlimited™ setting and enables you to take your Earth heroes to alien worlds. This sourcebook has everything you need to launch an alien based campaign or galactic adventures, or introduce alien invaders, villains, heroes and campaign ideas.

Aliens Unlimited™ also makes the perfect resource and companion to Thundercloud Galaxy™ or any of the Rifts® Dimension Books™ and the Minion War™ series. Looking for some new space aliens, villains and monsters to add to your Thundercloud Galaxy™ or Minion War™ campaign? Need some unique Splugorth slaves? Demon henchmen? Take a look at Aliens Unlimited™ (and the Aliens Unlimited™ Galaxy Guide™ companion sourcebook); easy to adapt.

85 alien races/R.C.C.s, plus a bonus alien.

15 alien monster races, plus NPC villains.

Galactic Organizations (Atorian Empire and more).

Rules and tables for Creating Alien Characters, including an expanded Alien Appearance & Bonuses Table, Reason for Coming to Earth, Equipment, Special Vehicles and more.

BACK IN PRINT: Wolfen Empire™

A sourcebook for Palladium Fantasy RPG®

Back in print! This juicy adventure-sourcebook is authored by Erick Wujcik, Kevin Siembieda and Bill Coffin. It presents a comprehensive background and history of the Wolfen Empire, the Wolfen tribes, their military and their plans for the future. It also includes several adventures, strange animals, random encounter tables and more. Wolfen Empire is a fan favorite, and one of Erick Wujcik’s last published role-playing works.

101 Adventures Table.

4 fully-fleshed out adventures plus a few notable places, including the Bones of Belimar, the Village of Wrijin and the town of Badd Land (a Bandit’s Paradise).

BACK IN PRINT: Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan™

This fan-favorite sourcebook is filled with high-tech wonders, magic and monsters. There are 20 O.C.C.s (Occupational Character Classes) that range from the traditional ninja and samurai to power armor, giant robots and cyborgs.

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ – Coming Next!

In final production right now!

Deep within Mexico vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and food stock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions. In final production right now with art and text coming in and final editing and writing in progress.

More human kingdoms within Mexico like the Tampico Military Protectorate and Durango, the Silver City.

Firefighting robots, hover firetrucks and more anti-vampire gear.

Magic based Vampire Hunters and human strongholds.

Techno-Wizard anti-vampire weapons and magical devices.

Profiles for Doc Reid and Reid’s Rangers, the world’s most famous Vampire Hunters.

Fort Reid, an entire city devoted to hunting the undead.

The Bloodwatch, a secret vampire intelligence agency that tracks down and exterminates Vampire Hunters.

The Yucatan Peninsula, a mysterious dimensional pocket overrun by strange demons known as Xibalbans.

The return of the Mayan god Camazotz, Lord of Bats and Darkness.

The werebeasts of Mexico and Central America; those who assist the vampires and those who fight against them.

Rifts® Black Market Hardcover

– Gold Contraband Edition – Available now!

Everything you want to know about the Black Market of Rifts® North America presented inside a pair of gorgeous black leatherette covers. Gold foil embossing on front cover and spine. Historically, gold collector editions only increase in value on the collector’s market, and often quickly. This is the lowest number of a Collector’s Gold Edition that Palladium has ever printed.

Rifts® Black Market™ – Softcover Edition – Available now

See what everyone is talking about and order yours today. Rifts® Black Market™ is an epic, 192 page sourcebook that contains a wealth of information about the inner workings of the Black Market, the Five Factions, new Bandito Arms/Black Market weapons and gear, how to make any O.C.C. a Black Marketeer, special abilities of the Black Marketeer, criminal enterprises, Black Market loans, merc and crime jobs, and much more. This book has it all. AND best of all, a lot of it can be easily adapted to just about any world setting, not just Rifts Earth.

Rules to make any O.C.C. (or R.C.C.) a Black Marketeer.

Special abilities and benefits of the Black Marketeer.

Specialized O.C.C.s of the Black Market.

Criminal enterprises, jobs, and inner workings of the Black Market.

The Five Black Market Factions that wield the greatest power in North America: Bandito Arms, The Chicago Network, The Immaterial Hand, El Oculta, and Le Marche Noir.

Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun™ One

Northern Gun™ is the largest independent manufacturer of high-tech weapons, robots and vehicles in North America. Outside of the Coalition States, one could argue, no other kingdom is as powerful or influential, at least when it comes to technology and weapons. The manufacture and sale of Northern Gun weapons and vehicles has given virtually every kingdom, town, colony of settlers and adventurer group a chance to survive and prosper. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, NG has been the premier outfitter of mercenaries, adventurers and upstart kingdoms for generations. Now, for the first time ever, learn Northern Gun’s history, goals and plans for the future. Of course, that means new weapons, robots, power armor, vehicles and gear.

In-depth look at Northern Gun: its business operations and its community.

Rifts® World Book 35: Megaverse® in Flames™

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. Demons, Deevils and supernatural beings run rampant and wreak havoc across the world.

Demon plagues and mystic blights.

Soulmancy and Blood Magic revealed.

Magical and demonic weapons and war machines.

Demonic armies, strongholds and places of evil.

Hell Pits and Rune Forges.

Many Demon Lords, their minions and plans.

Calgary, the Kingdom of Monsters; in detail.

Ciudad de Diablo, Harpies’ Island and other notable Hell holes on Earth.

Lord Doom, Pain and other demonic leaders.

Horune treachery, Dimension Stormers and other villains.

Notable demonic generals, mercenaries, people and places.

Battleground: Earth – as demons and infernals amass their legions.

Global chaos and the places most dramatically affected by the Demon Plagues.

PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include.

‘Tis the season for zombies! Dead Reign™ Zombie RPG.

Everyone I’ve ever talked to who has tried this game loves it, especially if they had a thing for post-apocalyptic games and zombies to begin with. Fans of zombies, horror and apocalyptic settings really should give this RPG a try. – Kevin Siembieda

Dead Reign™ RPG – ideal introductory role-playing game

Think you know zombies? Think again.

Can you survive in a world where the dead have risen and feed upon the living? Battle zombies, mad men and death cultists in a post-apocalyptic where world the last of humanity struggles to survive.

Dead Reign™ RPG is the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Civilization is gone, the dead reign, and the living fight to survive against impossible odds. Tales of zombies, human survival and horror as a fast-paced, easy to learn game and sourcebooks.

Easy to learn, easy to play, and fast paced.

Clean, simple rules and quick character generation, and a depth of information and setting.

Back in Print and Great Gift Ideas

The Rifter® #50, Anniversary Special – Available NOW! – back in print due to popular demand

You might think of The Rifter® #50 as a special “all-star” anniversary issue with official source material for Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane® and many other Palladium RPG settings.

The Rifter® #50 includes:

Chaos Earth™ – Official source material that includes psionics and three new psychic O.C.C.s: Charismatic O.C.C., Reactionary O.C.C. and Teke Freak O.C.C. Written by Jason Richards. Art by Allen and Brian Manning.

Heroes Unlimited™ – Official source material about fame, glory and infamy for heroes and the legacy they create. Written by Mark Oberle. Art by Mark Dudley.

Nightbane® – Official source material on the new O.C.C. known as the Mortificant or Death Caller. Written by Irvin Jackson. Art by Kent Burles.

Splicers® – Official source material that includes three new O.C.C.s: The Geneticist O.C.C., Tormentor O.C.C., and the Gardener O.C.C., and more. Written by Brandon Aten and Matthew Orr. Art by Chuck Walton.

Classic Rifts® Miniatures – Back in stock

The following favorite Rifts® miniatures are back in stock. Some, like the Glitter Boy, have sold on the collector’s market for as much as $50-$120. They are being re-released for the first time in a decade.

Approximately 25 mm in size.

Each figure is an unpainted, pewter miniature. Some assembly and cleaning may be required.

Sold as a single, individual figure in a plastic bag and comes with a black, 30 mm or 40 mm plastic base.

Prices vary according to size, but range from $6-20 retail.

Sorry, not currently available in stores. Available only from Palladium Books.

Upcoming Appearances

Anime North – May 24-26, 2013 – Toronto, Canada

Speaking of which, have I mentioned that I will be one of the guests at Anime North in Toronto next year? Well, I will. The event takes place Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26, 2013. This will be my first time back at a convention in Canada in something like 15 years. Too long. www.animenorth.com

Gen Con® Indy – August 15-18, 2013 – Indianapolis, Indiana

Oh yeah, we can hardly wait for Gen Con next year. We may even need to expand the size of our booth.

Note: No Palladium Open House in 2013 and right now, there are no plans for one in 2014.